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MechWarrior Tactics' hexy first screens revealed

While free-to-play stompy mech games Hawken, Reign of Thunder, and MechWarrior Online focus on piloting the lovely robots, MechWarrior Tactics puts you in command of a squad of them. Announced last month, it's now been revealed in the first screenshots.

The stompy mech game has returned, at long last, though curiously as a free-to-play phenomenon. Hawken and Reign of Thunder have the FPS action side of honking great robots covered, while MechWarrior Online is taking the sim approach, and MechWarrior Tactics is returning to MW's turn-based tabletop roots. The first screenshots of MW Tactics have dropped, showing a hex-based grid, terrain obstacles, and lances of jolly nice robots.
Commanding your 'lance' of four custom-made mechs, you'll get to smash other people's pride and joy across ranked matches, global leaderboards, and all that jazz. As befits its turn-based nature, players can have multiple asynchronous games on the go at once.
Collecting, upgrading and customizing your mechs feature largely, which is how the free-to-play game plans to make money. According to publisher Infinite Game Publishing, it "allows players the freedom to collect and purchase vital combat and cosmetic resources to outfit each Mech." Hopefully, paying will only unlock gear early rather than give distinct advantages, as 'pay-to-win' models have proven effective at alienating players.
MechWarrior Tactics is coming to PC in 2012, developed by A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games and Roadhouse Interactive. Check out the official site for more.